IV - Passion & Instinct

IV. Passion & Instinct
[By: Dark Lady Scorn / Revision by: Sopho Tremis / Editing by Kami Seiko]
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Jedi strive to maintain tranquility of mind, heart, and body. For Jedi, emotions are things to control, overcome and eventually nullify altogether. This idea has no grasp in reality. For Sith, having emotion is to understand self and those around us. Our decisions, motivations, focus - are dictated by emotional basis. Jedi is bound to eradicate this connection - therefore eradicating connection to real world itself.

Sith do not strive to eradicate our emotions, we experience them; we revel in them. Sith are not controlled by our emotions; we wield them.
Emotions allow us to experience outside world and its intent to us. As pain informs us about harm done to the body; emotions are informing us about how we perceive certain events. While we may not strive to control some, we need to control others - only by understanding our emotional spectrum, we can achieve control of self.

Sith also embrace instinct, something we consider to be a seventh sense. It is an aspect of ourselves, directly attuned to The Force. Though, there needs to be space for introspection and analysis, between emotional response and instinct.
Event -> Emotion -> Instinctual response -> Introspection -> Thinking -> Action.

As Sith, instinct is a tool which we use, just as we use The force. It is well said that while Jedi serve The Force, Sith subjugate it; we wield it.

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1. In your own words, define emotion and recognize events that activates it. What makes you most angry? Sad? Frustrated? Or joyful?


2. What is the value of emotion for common person? How is it different for Sith? How are Sith approaching emotions?


3. Spend some time learning about instinct. Think about events in the past - did you ever act by instinct alone? Was it to your benefit or detriment?


4. How can you wield emotion? How do you go from control into wielding?


5. Take 7 days to think about emotions you experience; try to understand them; think about how to use them for your benefit. How to find balance between self-control and self-empowerment. 


6. Considering the above, what do you view to be a weakness in how you dealt with your emotions?


7. Provide three examples of where you did something just because instinct informed you to. Provide three more examples, where you ignored it. What happened in both cases?


8. Summarize this exercise in 3-4 paragraphs or more.